Liturgy For Naming and Claiming Racism-A Call
To Repent
Quieting, Centering with Psalm 23, Bobby Mc
Ferrin’s Version on You Tube
Voice 1: In the name of our
Provident God who shares divinity with us, our Provident God who shares humanity
with us, in the name of our Provident God, Spirit who inspires and unsettles
us. ALL: Amen.
Voice1: My sisters and brothers, God is with
you! ALL: And also with you.
Let us light a candle in memory of the Charleston 9.
PENITENTIAL RITE
Voice1: We are all painfully
aware of the massacre of nine African Americans in church in Charleston, South
Carolina recently. Our hearts go out to the families, friends and the
Charleston community. Let us name each victim at this time and hold them in silent prayer:
Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, Rev. Dr. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, The
Honorable Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. Daniel Simmons .Rev.
Sharonda Singleton, Myra Thompson
Voice 1: While acknowledging this shameful tragedy, the
senseless loss of life, the hate driven actions of a young white man, we also
affirm his need for redemption, and forgiveness. We pray for Dylan Storm Roof,
his family and friends.
All: Wrap Dylan in the arms of Peace, teach him the
way of love, and free him from the bondage of hate and evil. Come to his
assistance, O God.
Voice 1: We ask for the grace to continually
acknowledge our need to grow in goodness and caring for ourselves and for
others. We renounce in ourselves all vestiges of racism, superiority, and
entitledness. ALL: We accept your love and forgiveness for the frailty of our human
nature. We leave here at this altar all
that holds us back from the unity that you desire.
.
Voice 1: And we join with you, Jesus the Christ,
believing the strength and insight of the Holy Spirit will lead us to deeper
dedication to justice, equality and peace in our world. ALL:
Amen.
LITURGY OF
THE WORD
First
Reading: Wisdom: 1:13-15 2:23-24
Responsorial
Psalm 30: REFRAIN: At nightfall weeping enters in, but with the dawn rejoicing! (
Selected verses from Nan Merrill’s Psalms)
Second
Reading: A Reading from Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson, Metropolitan Church Leader.
Third Reading: From Rev.
Elder Darlene Garner, Metropolitan Church Leader
Gospel
Acclamation: Jesus the Christ Destroyed Death and brought Light to life through the
Gospel!
Gospel;
Mark: 5:21-24, 35 to 43
Reader: A reading from the Gospel according to Mark
ALL: Glory to you O God.
After the Gospel: This is
the Good News of the Gospel
All: Glory to you Jesus
the Christ
Homily (The Public
Statement of Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton on the Murders of the Charleston 9)
Statement of
Faithfulness
I believe that the Source of
Creation
radiates through the cosmos
as Supreme Intelligence,
absolute love, ineffable
beauty.
I believe that the Source
from which we come is alive in us
as our breath, and as we
speak and sing and breathe,
we released the beauty of the
Creator into the world.
I believe that the universe
is unfolding through me,
and that it is through my
being that it is becoming self-aware.
I believe that the greatest
challenge for humans is to free ourselves
from religious trappings and
cultural constraints that perpetuate
our powerlessness and
dependence on external forces.
I believe that healing the
wounds of the earth and its people
is a holy act that, in
itself, heals us.
I believe that our worldviews
create the world we experience,
and as we alter them, we
alter our lives in the world.
Amen. Adapted from An Apostles Creed © 2012 Jan Philipps
Voice 2: Let us pray:
Loving God, we are mindful that we belong to one human
family, a family of all
the peoples of the earth, a circle of astounding diversity of cultures. Enrich our lives by ever -widening circles of
companions and show us your presence in those who differ most from us. All:
Amen
Prayers of Naming and
Claiming and Repenting
For
the racism which denies dignity to people of color. Response: Merciful God, forgive us.
For
the racism which recognizes prejudice in others but never in ourselves. R. Merciful God, forgive us.
For
the racism that will not recognize the work of your Spirit in other cultures. R.
Forgive
those of us who have been silent and apathetic in the face of racial
intolerance and bigotry, overt and subtle, public and private. R. Take away the arrogance and superiority
which infect us.
Break
down the walls and barriers that separate us. R. Help us to find the unity that will enable us to become your
beloved community reflecting unconditional love, affirmation and acceptance.
Empower
us to speak truth to power, to interact with one another with respect and
forbearance. R. May we embody
justice and equality in all of our actions and bring about your kindom here!
Intercessions: And for what else shall we pray?
Let us pray: O God of unconditional
love, you show no partiality in respect to people or nations, we have heard
this good news and rejoice in the human family. Knit us into a people, a
seamless garment of many colors reflecting your very self.
May
we celebrate our unity, made whole in our diversity. Gift us with the necessary
courage and wisdom to change our racist structures and systems. Be with this
nation as we journey on to become a united country which values freedom and
justice for ALL! Amen
PREPARATION
OF THE GIFTS
Voice 2: Blessed are you, gracious God of all
creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has
given and human hands have made. It will
become for us the bread of life.
ALL: Blessed be God forever.
Voice 2: By the mystery of this
water and wine, may we come to share in the
divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Blessed are you, gracious God of all
creation, through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine
and work of human hands. It will become
our spiritual drink. ALL:
Blessed be God forever.
Voice
2: God is always with you. ALL: And also with you.
Voice
2: Together, we lift up our hearts.
ALL: To God and one another
we lift them.
Voice 2:
Together, we give thanks to our gracious God. ALL:
Indeed it is right to constantly give thanks and praise. Let us pray together our Eucharist
Prayer. (adapted by Jay Murnane)
Alternate
readers around the room:
Blessed are you, gracious God
of all creation. Through your goodness, you made this world and called us to be
your co-creators.
We thank you for the
universe, this good planet, all the wonderful diversity and beauty of life
around us and within us.
We thank you for our freedom,
for the dreams of the young and the visions of the elders. /
We praise you, for you call
us to build the earth into a community of love rooted in justice.
You have placed confidence in
us, for you have made us and you know that we are good.
In joy and in thanksgiving for
your call to us, we join with all creation as we say:
Holy, Holy, Holy, God of
wonderful life;
Heaven and earth are full of
your glory, Rejoice! Rejoice!
Blessed are they who come in
the name of the God of wonderful life.
Rejoice! Rejoice! /
Gracious God, we do not
always understand what you would have us do; it is difficult to grasp the
mysterious depths of your love.
That is why Jesus lived among
us, to show us who we are. He challenged us to know you as parent, and taught
us not to be afraid.
He showed us how to forgive
and taught us the strength of compassionate love.
On the night before he died,
so that he and all of us could really live, Jesus gathered for the Seder supper
with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants he washed
their tired and dusty feet, and said, "When you do this, you remember
me."/
Back at the table he took the
Passover bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them: “Take
and eat, this is my body.”
Then he took the cup of
blessing, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine:
“Take and drink the covenant
renewed in my blood,
for you and for everyone,
that all captivity may cease.
When you do this you remember
me.”/
Therefore
Gracious God, you breathe
your own spirit into us, and it is by your spirit that we live. This attunes us
to your wisdom and your call whenever we listen carefully and helps us to see
beyond the barriers of our blindness./
All:
THEREFORE,
WE ASK THAT YOU SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AFRESH UPON US AND UPON OUR GIFTS THAT
THEY MAY BECOME FOR US AND WE FOR THE WORLD, THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS THE
CHRIST AT WHOSE INVITATION WE CELEBRATE THIS EUCHARIST!
Alternate readers around the
room:
We will do the work of
compassion and justice so that all women and men can approach each other as
equals, living in the light of your constant care.
We make our prayer as Jesus
did:
Gracious God, creating all
around us;
Respectfully, we celebrate
our mutual existence.
Beautiful earth life happens
here and everywhere./
Since we have everything we
need right here, we can share with each other
And our earth life can be
less painful and more healing.
For it is through us, with
us, in us, in our unity, creating with you, Gracious God, today and
always. Amen. /
Voice 2: Let us share the deep reality of universal communion.
Let us eat and drink deeply of the Bread and Cup of Life and Love Give glory to
the living God whose covenant with us we have experienced in Jesus.
All: Glory
to God! As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without
end. Amen
ALL RECITE
When bread is on every table,
All will know that Jesus is risen.
Then the poor of the world will feast,
And their children will sing Alleluia.
From Bread on Every Table9Monks of
Weston Priory
THE PRAYER
OF JESUS
ALL: Our
Father and Mother . . .
Voice 3: Deliver us, God, from every evil and grant us
peace in our day. In your mercy keep us
holy in your sight and protect us from all anxiety and fear. We watch and wait; we search and find all the
signs that You are continually with us, calling us to new life.
ALL: For the kindom, the power, and the glory are
yours, now and forever. Amen.
THE SIGN OF PEACE
Voice
3: Jesus,
You said to your disciples, “My peace I leave you. My peace I give you.” Look on the faith of all and grant us the
peace and unity of your kindom where you live forever and ever. ALL: Amen.
Voice
3: May
the peace of our gracious God be always with you. ALL: And
also with you
Voice
3:Let us offer each other a sign of peace.
Communion
LITANY FOR THE BREAKING
OF BREAD
ALL: Fountain of Life, You call us to
spirit-filled living; guide us by your Spirit.
Fountain of Life, You call us to spirit-filled service; strengthen us to
serve with compassion. Fountain of Life,
You call us to be Your spirit in the world, grant us peace
Voice 1: This is Jesus, who liberates, heals and
transforms our world. All are invited to
partake of this sacred banquet of love.
ALL: We are the Body of
Christ.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Voice 1: Gracious God, may the Eucharist that we
celebrate bring us to share Christ’s healing power with one another. May we continue to be faithful to the mission
and ministry of spreading the Good News of God’s faithful love. May we accept the liberating power of the
Holy Spirit who is with us still. This
we ask in the name of Jesus, the Christ.
ALL: Amen.
CONCLUDING
RITE
Voice 1: May God be with you. ALL: And also with you.
Voice 1: Let us call upon our gracious God as we share
blessings with each other. We bless one
another and pledge to live the beatitudes of Christ. ALL: Amen.
Voice 1: We bless one another and pledge to manifest
unconditional love in all our actions.
ALL: Amen.
Voice 1: We bless one another and pledge to bring the
service of the Gospel to all we met. ALL:
Amen.
BLESSING
(Everyone
please extend your hands in mutual blessing.)
ALL: May our gracious God, bless all here gathered
in the name of God our Creator, in the name of Jesus our
Liberator, in the name of
the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier as we care and minister to one another in love,
for we are the people of God. Amen.
DISMISSAL
Voice 1: Go in the peace of Christ. Let our service begin!
ALL: Thanks be to God.
You
Tube: Make Me a Channel of our Peace
Some
of this content was taken from The United Church of Christ’s Prayers for Racial
Justice Sunday. Much was taken directly or adapted from Bishop Elizabeth A.
Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s “ A
Service of Repentance and Mourning “ with permission. Bridget Mary Meehan,
Dotty Shugrue, Mary T. Streck and Mary Weber contributed to the liturgy.
No comments:
Post a Comment